The Yamashita Daiki so long tour continues, as he signs off both his signature characters (for now) this weekend.  It would be hard to overstate just how much Yamashita (who also has great range, as he showed in Dance Dance Danseur) imbues both these lads with the essence of his personality.  Onoda Sakamichi and Midoriya Izuku are more different than one might think at first glance, but more than anything what unites them is their kindness and their loyalty.  We saw Deku drift away from that a bit this season, but Sakamichi has never wavered for an instant (apart from that snowbank).

In a sense I think these last two episodes suffered from being broadcast back-to-back (the third time Limit Break has done that).  You knew 24 would end as it did, and for all that we love to complain about cliffhangers in this case I think Yowamushi Pedal really deserved one.  Regardless, it was a hell of a dramatic buildup to that dramatic final moment of the penultimate episode.  In the first place Sakamichi had to get his shoe strapped back into his pedal before he could get his mojo working, and that cost few a precious dozen meters or more at the end of all things.

As I’ve said before, I like both these kids as characters.  I would have no problem with either of them winning (I would have been fine with Midousuji-kun too), and I think a better case can be made for Manami in narrative terms.  But when push comes to shove I find it impossible to root against the tireless terrier.  I was pulling hard for Onoda every step of the way, and Watanabe can worry about his protagonist being undefeated when it counts later.  But for most of that final run-in Sakamichi is staring at Sangaku’s back, struggling to make up the gap his equipment problem helped his frival to open.

No one inspires Onada more than Makishima-san, of course.  Manami can certainly take inspiration from a glimpse of Toudou-san on the final sprint, but Manami – for all that he’s changed a bit in that way – remains fundamentally a boy who rides for himself.  He cares less about other people – what they think of him, what his success or failure means to them – than Sakamichi does.  As such, the sight of Maki-chan on that barrier does more for Onoda than any such motivation could for Manami.  He wasn’t kidding when he said he didn’t care who won the race, and that he’s like “someone else to have a turn” – that really is who Onoda Sakamaichi is.

That’s the most interesting part of this rivalry for me.  Is Onoda’s lack of ego ultimately a strength or a weakness?  Cyclists are like strikers in soccer – the really great ones have a streak of selfishness running through them.  Manami certainly does – not in a mean way by any stretch, but he’s very much his own motivator.  Onoda carries the weight of his teammates on his shoulders, but he also feels all their hands pushing him forwards – and sees them waiting for him at the line, where Manami sees only tarmac and paint.  The answer to that question is really what the cliffhanger and its resolution is all about.

Because Watanabe Wataru is who he is – and Yowapeda is what it is – the answer to that question seems inevitable in hindsight.  Sohoku is the ultimate team, and Sakamichi the ultimate team player.  In this mythology the tailwind of riding for his teammates provides more lift than their weight presses him down.  It’s ironic on several levels – not least that only Onoda and Imaizumi even finish the race.  But even more so is because in the end it really is Onoda’s unbelievable individual strength that makes the difference.  He always rises to the moment, no exceptions.  I doubt Sakamichi (like most 16 year-olds) has a clue what servant leadership is, but he certainly embodies it.

The true nature of what Teshima gave up for the team is hammered home too.  By not finishing he forfeits the king of the mountains tag (meaning Ashikiba-kun swept those).  But grand tour teams can either be set up to win the race or not.  If you have an ace good enough for the podium, you never – never – put that at risk for the sake of individual stage wins or lesser titles.  Teshima did the right thing, so credit where it’s due – his ultimate role had to be to sacrifice himself for Sakamichi, just as all the other domestiques were tasked to do.

For all that I was thrilled the T.T. won again, I really do feel badly for Manami.  This is two years in a row he’s lost in the same fashion, and while he’s no selfless team player he clearly feels the agony of letting his teammates down.  Onoda thanking him probably made him feel worse (unintentionally), but Sangaku seems to be taking it better this year.  Arakita’s uncharacteristic show of moral support didn’t come amiss either.  Izumida really shone in the aftermath of the race too – his conduct in the winner’s tent before the awards ceremony was really admirable.

Sangoku may tell Sakamichi that next year they should race for the mountain tag on the first day, and as I noted weeks ago, I think the both of them genuinely would prefer to be able to go head to head without the responsibility for their team’s fate riding on it.  But they don’t have that privilege – they’re the best, and as such they’ll need to settle the score one last time with everything on the line.  Maybe Chimera-kun will crash the party, maybe not, but I can’t see anyone else doing so.  Sakamichi having won two inter-highs in his first two years is certainly an unconventional narrative approach for Watanabe-sensei to take, and it will make that third one kind of uncharted territory.  But Onoda trying to graduate undefeated certainly carries its own dramatic weight.

We waited almost five years between seasons this time, so it may be a good while until we get another.  There’s plenty of unadapted manga though (maybe 25 volumes), and Yowamushi Pedal remains quite popular in Japan, so I do expect it to happen sooner or later.  I really missed this show when it was gone – it’s damn good, but also one of those series I feel a lot of flat-out affection for.  This season suffered from some of the same niggles S4 did – too much TeshimAoyagi, not enough of the big three – but in the end delivered the goods in vintage Yowapeda fashion.  It’s one of my favorite sports anime and Onoda one of my favorite protagonists, and it was great to have Limit Break remind me of that.